History Literature / Thunderball

The book was actually the novelization of a screenplay which wasn't adapted into film [[Film/{{Thunderball}} until 1965]]. Due to the copyrights involving other writers of the screenplay, several legal battles ensued and the book got another film adaptation [[Film/NeverSayNeverAgain in 1983]].

* HateSink: Pierre Borraud, who happens to be on SPECTRE's ruling panel as Number 12, establishes himself as a loathsome person for raping a hostage his organization took in exchange for ransom. Thankfully, Blofeld [[KarmicDeath deals with]] Borraud's misconduct severely by subjecting him to a HighVoltageDeath during the [[BoardToDeath SPECTRE board meeting]]. Blofeld also returns a portion of the ransom to the victim's family as compensation for his henchman's devious actions.
* HighVoltageDeath: Pierre Borraud is electrocuted in his chair by Blofeld for raping a hostage. To compensate for his henchman's devious behaviour, Blofeld refunds a portion of the ransom money to the victim's family.
* InsideJob: SPECTRE co-opts a NATO officer to steal a pair of nuclear weapons. This was subverted in [[FilmOfTheBook the film version]] of ''Film/{{Thunderball}}'', where SPECTRE replaces the officer with a double, but played straight again in the remake, ''Film/NeverSayNeverAgain'', where the officer reprogams two nuclear missiles so the warheads can be recovered by SPECTRE.

* AssholeVictim: Blofeld kills Bourraud for raping a hostage, and refunds half of the ransom money to the victim's family as compensation for Bourraud's vile deed.
%%* BigBad: Emilio Largo.
* BlofeldPloy: The meeting between SPECTRE agents has Blofeld chewing out someone in charge of a kidnapping that went awry when the kidnap victim [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil was supposedly raped]] (Blofeld isn't sure if it was rape or consensual sex; he doesn't really care) as its a violation of self-discipline during captivity. He then kills another underling sitting nearby - the one who ''was'' responsible for the rape - revealing he was using the first agent as a distraction and let the real target get too comfortable sitting in his electrified chair...
* BornInTheWrongCentury: The novel narrates that Largo would have been right at home in the time of pirates, effectively calling him a murderous cut-throat.

* {{Pirate}}: Narration notes that if Largo had been born in the time of pirates, he would've fit right in with them. And he wouldn't have been the romantic swashbuclikng type, but a merciless cutthroat.

* RightBehindMe: Bond is overheard asking Moneypenny to check out the Tong symbol he'd seen tattooed on Count Lippe. Lippe wrongly assumes Bond is investigating him and tries to [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident arrange a fatal accident]].

* YouHaveFailedMe: Blofeld has Count Lippe killed when his childish feud with Bond almost jepordizes SPECTRE's plan.

Criminal organization SPECTRE has stolen two British nukes, and use them [[{{Blackmail}} to demand a ransom]] of a hundred million pounds. Bond is send to Bahamas to investigate a possible link to SPECTRE.

The book is notable for being perhaps the first story about terrorists stealing nuclear weapons and holding the world to ransom-- a common enough trope in modern spy and action thrillers, but a revolutionary idea at the time. Thats right, folks; ''Franchise/JamesBond'' [[NiceJobBreakingItHero invented nuclear terrorism.]]

* AssholeVictim: Blofeld kills Bourraud for raping a hostage, and refunds a portion of the ransom money to the victim's family as compensation.

* BigBad: Emilio Largo, with Ernst Stavro Blofeld as the BiggerBad.

* [[INeedAFreakingDrink I Need A Freaking Breakfast]]: After Bond has been converted to the joys of health food, his housekeeper May is aghast to see him having crispbread with cottage cheese for breakfast. He gives her a rather pompous lecture on the importance of eating whole foods. Then he goes to a morning meeting [[spoiler: and someone tries to kill him]]. He goes home and asks May to make him bacon, eggs and coffee.

* {{Tuckerization}}: The name Shrublands was taken from that of a house owned by the parents of Fleming's wife's friend, Peter Quennell.

* WomenDrivers: Bond thinks to himself how dangerous women drivers are when other women are in their vehicles, since, in his mind, they won't stop looking at each while talking.

* PirateBooty: The SPECTRE members residing in Bahamas, led by Largo, are there under the guise of searching for sunken pirate treasure.

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Blofeld comes up with inventive and painful ways to dispose of subordinates who fail him. He electrocutes one in his chair (for sexually molesting a girl kidnapped by SPECTRE), and had previously strangled s econd with a garrote and shot a third one through the heart with a compressed-air pistol.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Blofeld reports to SPECTRE that a hostage they had returned upon payment of the ransom was found to have lost her virginity while in their possession. Since SPECTRE had promised to return her "unharmed", Blofeld refunded a portion of the ransom to her family. He also executes the agent responsible, stating that while they may be criminals, they still have to hold to a higher standard of conduct.

The book was actually novelization of a screenplay which wasn't adapted into film [[Film/{{Thunderball}} until in 1965]]. Due to the copyrights involving other writers of the screenplay, the book got an another adaptation [[Film/NeverSayNeverAgain in 1983]].